SOTU 2010

The speech went on, and on, and on. If you played a drinking game you died of blood alcohol poisoning by the 45-minute mark. It was… a State of the Union speech. Our Union has a State: Screwed. We are screwed.

It did have a few flashing moments of Obama Rhetorical Smackdown amidst all the droning blah. I was shocked at the occasional ad-libbed jokes and the scathing sarcasm pointed at both the Republicans and the Democrats. The best came at the very end:

“Remember this – I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone. Democracy in a nation of three hundred million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That’s just how it is.”

“Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths. We can do what’s necessary to keep our poll numbers high, and get through the next election instead of doing what’s best for the next generation.”

… and the chambers of the House and Senate, both parties, were silent.

The text of the entire speech is here. It has good points. Obama is one hell of a writer and he surrounds himself with fantastic writers. I will always give him that.

I felt bad for the Virginia Govenor Guy who followed afterward who was Inoffensively Virginian. The SotU was so long no one was around when he got his 15 minute shot and his remarks so bland all I remember is “mumblemumblemumble.” Who picks who goes after Obama? Is it a shortest straw deal? “OH you picked the shortest straw YOU get to try to go after that dude. Good luck with that!”